The "and Beyond" Begins

On 11 June the Africa Mercy cast off from the port of Conakry, her home for the last ten months. It was emotional to see videos and pictures of her departure on social media. Emotional because of how much I grew to appreciate Guinea and her people. Emotional because as much as I wanted to be part of the Advance team, that meant I had to miss the sail to the Canary Islands. Emotional because it brings closure to some very special months of my life. A friend who remained onboard after I left  told me that as the Africa Mercy pulled away from the dock, the surrounding ships all blew their horns to say “goodbye”. Port workers also came to see us off. 

So long Guinea...
Photo credit: Ria Bos

I don't often find myself yearning for a long flight, but my departure from Conakry was one of those days. I think all of us headed to Dakar for Advance felt that way. We wanted to process our time in Guinea before embarking on a very new and different adventure. We wanted rest too; that last week onboard the Africa Mercy was so full of activities – tying up loose ends from our positions on the ship, packing and moving out of our cabins, and using any free time for outings in the city. My heart and mind wanted an 8-hour flight, but in under two I found myself navigating the Dakar airport. 

Celebrating our local crew in Guinea

The weather in Dakar is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G (at least for now). The air is breezy, less humid than Conakry, and cooler. I no longer sweat 5 minutes after I walk outside. The highway (actually a toll road) is very smooth. Sand is everywhere. My shoes will almost certainly end up falling apart before I leave this country, especially once the rains come. The traffic in Dakar, as in most big cities, is rather miserable – made worse by road construction nearby our apartment. In a strange confluence of old meets new, horse-drawn carriages, carrying mostly construction supplies and trash, vie for space on the main streets (and the beach). The motorbike population is quite sparse in Dakar compared to Conakry. Taxis remain an adventure, however, with doors that require the "magic touch" to shut properly, missing rear-view mirrors, and the occasional seat that moves along with the motion of the car. Compared to many cities in Africa, Dakar feels quite developed. There is an abundance of activities to keep one entertained, including the beach, cultural events, workout classes and swimming pools, cinemas, historical sites etc. On Saturday, my team went to a concert at the French Institute; it's quite the place. 

We arrived at the end of Ramadan to a country where approximately 95% of the population is Muslim. Our first Thursday here was a national holiday, and the workweek overall felt quite relaxed given the festivities of Eid el-Fitr.  Though this meant we spent a lot of time working in our apartment instead of meeting with our partners in Dakar, it was a blessing in disguise. My last week in Guinea I had expected to prepare a lot more for Senegal – mainly doing background research – but time went by so fast and little was accomplished in that regard. So, those first days hunched over a laptop in our dimly lit apartment, going a bit stir crazy, were actually so beneficial in their own way. I am feeling more prepared to tackle this new role.

Things are picking up now. I had meetings last week (my second in-country) about our dental clinic, housing for our dental team, and various hospital partnerships. I wrote a lot too, mainly letters and emails requesting more meetings. 

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Last Thursday evening, stuck in traffic, I struck up a 15-minute conversation with the taxi driver in French. My grammar was in no way elegant, my accent very flawed, but he could understand me. And that alone made me feel so accomplished. We talked about Mercy Ships, and I learned that his home country is actually Guinea. He grew up in Pita, a city we drove through on the way to one of our patient registration events. 

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The food scene here is quite good but get ready to pay as if you are in the USA or Europe. I’ve already had Korean and Thai cuisine. Writing this, I am at a very cute café + interior design store that has beautiful, brightly colored salads but also sandwiches and rice/potato bowls. Restaurants aside, I am still on the lookout for my new favorite grocery store – one that has a nice variety of gluten free goodies and almond milk. Surprisingly, Guinea seems to have better options in this regard.

Chicken roti with potatoes and a bounty of colorful, fresh veggies

Some other highlights from these first two weeks:

• Crash course in Wolof, the most widely spoken language in the country
• Dinner with former colleagues who were in Dakar for a meeting
• Visiting a small church that was entirely in French and Wolof 
• Cooking; it’s so nice to have a kitchen in the apartment
•  Traveling outside of Dakar; seeing what the country looks like apart from the capital
• Sunday morning beach time 

I guess that is all for now. Just wanted to give you a taste of my time here so far. I am working a lot but also really enjoying those free moments when I get to explore the city. More to come as the weeks go by. As they say here in Wolof - Yendul ak jamm! Have a good day!